Friday, November 13, 2015

Science + Poetry + Movement

I just presented a session at an area conference of the National Science Teachers Association in Philadelphia (along with Janet Wong) and what a great crowd we had! Plus, walking the exhibit hall I learned about Science Friday, a weekly radio program (now with podcasts and more) that's been around for 25 years. We talked with them about linking POETRY Friday with SCIENCE Friday! I'll keep you posted on how that develops. We also ran into "Ben Franklin" and shared a poem about him from one of our books-- that was a hoot. He seemed to genuinely enjoy that moment too. He even asked to have our picture taken with HIS camera! We talked about how poets are like scientists in their careful observations, focus on details, and sharing of their "findings!" And of course, we shared tons of poems (and Take 5 activities). One of the most popular was this one (along with the Take 5 activities):

And of course we had to share this 13 second video of Jane Goodall herself making the chimp call!

Also this poem offers a perfect transition to NEXT week's presentation at the annual conference of the National Council of Teacher's of English. Next week, Janet and I shift gears at join forces with poets and authors Susan Marie Swanson (who wrote the "Jane Goodall Begins a Speech" poem above) and Laura Purdie Salas to talk about poetry and movement, "Into the Poem: Active Strategies for Engaging Kinesthetic Learning." More on that next week! Meanwhile, head on over to Wee Words for Wee Ones for the rest of the Poetry Friday fun and enjoy our closing slide from our presentation, "How is a Scientist Like a Poet: Connecting Literacy and Science."

This quote by Bernice Cullinan is one thing I told so many of my students, loving science & loving poetry is the same thing, the beauty of what is seen, the description of the way it feels, smells, tastes. . .You know. Wish I could have seen the presentation. It sounds wonderful.

Yes, Susan Marie Swanson's poem is one of my favorites too. I love the way the poem puts a scientist forward as a celebrity and role model. The world could use a few (thousand) more little Jane Goodalls--maybe this poem will inspire them!

I can't wait for your "action poetry" presentation at NCTE--right up my K-2 alley! Thank you, Janet and Sylvia, for making the rounds of these professional conferences sowing the seeds of poetry like John Chapman...pretty soon Sylvia's colorful tights will be the stuff of legend, like Johnny Appleseed's bare feet, and Janet's suitcase will be as widely known as the sack on Johnny's back. : )

About Me

Sylvia Vardell is a professor and author of the ALA bestseller POETRY ALOUD HERE, also THE POETRY TEACHER'S BOOK OF LISTS, POETRY PEOPLE, CHILDREN'S LITERATURE IN ACTION, and the co-editor of THE POETRY FRIDAY ANTHOLOGY series and the POETRY FRIDAY POWER BOOK series in collaboration with poet Janet Wong. Vardell is also the poetry columnist for ALA’s BOOK LINKS magazine and for the NSTA journal, SCIENCE AND CHILDREN (along with Janet Wong). A frequent speaker at conferences, Vardell chaired the NCTE Poetry Award committee, served as a judge for the Lee Bennett Hopkins Poetry Award, and has been a consultant to the Poetry Foundation.